Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

These mocha cupcakes are coffee and espresso-infused, with a subtle chocolate flavor, and topped with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting.

These mocha cupcakes are a chocolate and coffee lover’s dream come true. If you can’t get your day going without your favorite cup of coffee, you’re in luck.

I might even go so far as to suggest that you should just skip your morning cup of coffee or trip to Starbucks and have one of these instead. The cake part itself strikes a subtle balance between light chocolate and a hint of creamy coffee. Not overwhelming on either end of the spectrum, and the combination results in a smooth, clean flavor, which is perfect for topping with espresso-spiked buttercream.

I love this recipe because it’s incredibly low maintenance in terms of preparation. I used my hand mixer and had these babies into the oven less than 30 minutes after I got started. I am absolutely infatuated with the texture of the cupcake – it’s so incredibly soft and tender, with not even a hint of dryness. It’s basically the perfect cupcake and I’m dying to think of other recipes to use the same base recipe.

MY OTHER RECIPES

As always, I try to achieve at least a 1:1 ratio of frosting to cake when frosting my cupcakes. Frosting is dreamy, yes? I could eat it with a spoon, straight from the mixing bowl. I pile it way high!

I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not a big coffee drinker, mostly because I don’t like the flavor of black coffee, so I need to doctor it up with all kinds of cream and sugar to enjoy it, and I figure if I’m going to do that, I might as well just have some dessert… Oh wait.

These mocha cupcakes are pretty much how I like to ingest my coffee. Sugar? Check. Cream? Check.

While I don’t drink coffee, I absolutely, positively LOVE these cupcakes, and I’m willing to bet that many of you will, too!

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

These mocha cupcakes are coffee and espresso-infused, light on the chocolate, and topped with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting.

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

½ cup (120 ml) brewed coffee, at room temperature

1½ teaspoons espresso powder

½ cup (120 ml) whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⅓ cups (189 grams) all-purpose flour

⅓ cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar

½ cup (99 grams) light brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

For the Espresso Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2½ cups (283 grams) powdered sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons espresso powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.

Make the Cupcakes: In a measuring cup, whisk the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until completely dissolved. Add the milk and vanilla extract; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the coffee mixture, mixing each until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir to ensure everything is incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.

Make the Frosting: In a small bowl, whisk the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high speed until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary. Frost the cupcakes as desired (I used the Wilton 1M decorating tip).

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Those are scrumptious! The frosting looks perfect- light and fluffy. I totally agree with your cake to frosting ratio. It seems more civilized to eat frosting on cake rather than right from the bowl, but I’d be surely tempted. Thanks for the recipe. I think my co-workers deserve these on the first day back to school!

I used to live in Leadville and that was 11,000 ft. above sea level. I called the County extention office to get help. I also called a few bakeries to pick their brain of all their secret tips. I know I had to adjust the leavening, liquid and flour and time of baking. My worst nightmare was trying to boil potatoes and pasta. It took 45-60 min. Crazy!! It is hard cooking with such craziness. Good luck!

I also live in CO and have found that adding a heaping Tablespoon of plain yogurt and a 1-2 Tablespoons of AP flour to cake recipes works really well. The yogurt tames the leavening and the flour makes it less wet and adds more gluten.

I also live in CO and have had no problems baking. The only adjustments i usually make concern sugar, salt, and vanilla. I also do bake weekly at a minimum (usually more) and have tried hundreds of recipes.

I live at the base of Manitou Springs, Colorado and I work at the Chefs Catalog Store in Colorado Springs. I assist Cooking Classes and help customers and questions of altitude adjustments are something I’m good at- lots of practice! So I often use The Cake Doctor Cookbook and while it’s about cheating with a cake mix she also has some really good cake mix Adjustments- so for that basically a 1/4 cp of flour is added to any mix you come across- an extra egg if rich and beat a bit more. For homemade goods from scratch it gets a bit tricky- but in general I cut down the sugar by 2 -4 Tbls. per cup of sugar and I decrease the leaven (baking soda, B powder, etc.) by 1/4 tsp per each tsp. Basically we are high up and the baked goods need less to make it rise. there are other things you can do, but essentially these 2 steps- lowering the sugar and leaven is enough. Happy having a Baking High!

hi, I just made the cupcakes and they turned out super moist. the only thing that comes to mind is that perhaps you’re mixing the flour and the espresso mixes in too big of portions or not mixing it well enough before pouring in the next portion of either mix….????? the cupcakes are so so delicious definitely a keeper!!!!!!! thanx so much for the recipe….!!!!

I had the same problem, my cupcakes turned out very light and crumbly. Idk what I did wrong but at least the flavor is great. Does anybody know how to avoid this? Do I have to add more flour or something like that? I live in a high place, maybe that’s the problem :S

You might look at how big your eggs are. Eggs cause it to bond better so if you’re not using the large eggs especially if you get “large eggs” in the store and they’re just as small as the mediums. So sometimes I add an extra egg or an extra yolk and it gives a little more stability to the cake.

LOVE the 1:1 ratio! I too am a frosting fan, and anything with a coffee flavor is even better. Thanks for the food blog link, I wasn’t aware of that either, but I can definitely see me using it for just the reasons you listed.

I really lovelovelove the icing on that ‘haphazard-y’ one. It looks so much better than a swirl! Am I right to assume that you just held the bag upright, and sort of moved it around a bit while squeezing?

I’m not a big cupcake fan, but I’ll make an exception for any that are topped with an espresso buttercream frosting. In fact, skip the cupcake and just pour the frosting in a cup for me. They’re absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for passing along the recipe.

Hi Becka, Thank you! The cake stand is actually from Marshall’s! Anytime I’m near a Marshall’s, TJ Maxx or Ross I take a spin through the kitchen department to see if there are any good finds. This was so cute and only $5!

These are just delicious!!!! I’ve made them already, but could not make them to puff up!! what could I be doing wrong?? I checked my baking powder and soda and worked fine… could it be butter (I used sweet cream butter) ???? Do you happen to have measurments in oz. (lbs.) for ingredients?? I am wondering, maybe my quantities varied from yours!! It would be of great help…. I will make them again, and post my measurements and see!!!

Beba, I had the same thing happen to mine. They came out delicious, but I found the cake to be very light, and did not produce a dome top. The fell a bit after cooling. I even cooked them for the full 20 minutes to try and avoid that from happening. I used regular butter as well.

I bet our old and new Mocha Acoyltes would love this recipe. Thank you for sharing it. Your frosting looks great! Wish I could be that fancy with decorating but I seem to have unsteady hands so I make up for looks with tons of chocolate.

For cupcakes I typically hold the piping bag straight up and down and then, starting on the outside, pipe a continuous circle around the outside, then into the middle, covering the top of the cupcake. Then I release and pick the bag up and do the same thing again, to create a mounded effect. I am going to be doing a series of icing, piping and decorating tutorials beginning in September, and cupcakes is on the list, so keep an eye out – there will be step by step photos and video!

Hi, Where should I keep these gorgeous? Buttercream is not something you frost with here in Israel (too hot!!!) so I don’t have any information about right storage. it’s about 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). Is it safe keeping them outside the fridge or should I refrigerate them?

Delicious recipe and thanks for the comment our blog! I brought these into work and they were devoured within an hour (at 9am!). I even received a couple comments along the lines of “this was the best frosting I’ve ever had in my life.” Clearly, you can’t go wrong with buttercream. Anyhow, I do have a question for you. As you may have noticed, I used brewed espresso in the cake & frosting instead of espresso powder. I initially tried the espresso powder, but had a difficult time getting it to dissolve in the coffee and vanilla. Any tips? What kind of espresso powder did you use? I think the brewed espresso was excellent and serves as an adequate substitute, but I was just curious about your methods ;P. Thanks! And these are so lovely by the way. Great job!

Just wanted to say that I made these, and they’re as gorgeous as they look! :D

I’ve posted the recipe on my blog (and linked black!) with UK weight & measure conversions, so if any wants them please feel free to pop over and have a look! Just click my name above, it’ll take you straight there :) My decorating and photos aren’t so good as here though… *blush*

Just got through baking these (I ended up with 15 hee hee) and I haven’t even started frosting them because I just had to come tell you how amazing these are!!! I had my ‘sample’ and WOW! The frosting is out of this world!!! Next time I think I’ll put chocolate chips in the batter ;-) Thank you so much for the fantastic recipe!!!

I made these for the Lijit Crew, who are big fans of caffeine and sugar, and received rave reviews! I have never been so happy with the texture and level of moisture in a from-scratch cupcake before. And the frosting…oh my gosh…I too have been working on buttercream techniques and am now amazed that it gets better and better every time. I was afraid it would deflate by the middle of the day, but all was well. I also thought chocolate chips would make a nice addition to the batter, and maybe a few sprinkled on top for those of us that don’t have a 1M tip. Thanks for another amazing recipe Michelle!

Mine were not moist. They turned out light, dry and crumbly. I’ve tried them twice now, double checking measurements and freshness of ingredients. The second time I tried making them I also cut down on the baking time. Not sure what I am doing wrong.

What could be better than the taste of chocolate and coffee?!! These are sooooo delicious! I just made them, and they truly are to die for!!! As an ameteur baker, I’m actually quite proud of myself for not messing them up. LOL These cupcakes are super moist, I’m almost having a hard time believing that I actually baked them! Thanks so much for posting this awesome recipe!! I will definitely be baking these for my nephews upcoming birthday party :-)

Yum! These cupcakes are delicious! I didn’t get much of the coffee flavor – and I even used full strength espresso instead of coffee! – so I might increase it next time, but they were sooo moist and perfect with the frosting! On the frosting, I added some Kahlua and alot more espresso powder and it was SOOO good, perfect combination!

I used Kahlua after finding myself short of vanilla at the end of a week with a house full of guests (and lots of baking for everyone). It really enhanced the creaminess of the frosting and it smelled heavenly. Great addition!

I have a once a month bake sale to benefit the Activities Department of the local nursing home, and I made these for my most recent sale. They literally flew off the table! The combination of chocolate and coffee is heavenly – thanks, Michelle, for this and all the other fabulous recipes you post. Your site is #1 in my baking bookmarks!

Ok… So I know this wasn’t necessarily a recent post, but I just have to tell you… I made these twice in the past week – once for a party and once for my coworkers (who don’t necessarily deserve them). They were a HUGE hit. I was almost mauled by a bunch of unruly social workers when I walked into the office with them. One person actually described them as a “party in my mouth.” AWESOME recipe (as usual). Great balance of flavors. They’ve been given an office-full of thumbs up!

i love you!! i made these, as well as your vanilla/vanilla…OH MY GOD! they are both amazing…i had never made a cupcake completely from scratch and and after tonight, i will never buy boxed mix again! i know these will both be a hit at thanksgiving

I love these cupcakes!! They are moist and have a wonderful coffee flavor in both the cupcakes and frosting! I got rave reviews the first time i made them and i am going to make them again tonight! Thanks for the recipe!

I just made these for the 4th time and EVERYONE has raved about them. As everyone else has said, the frosting is to.die.for! I have sent many of my friends to your site, because frankly, your recipes never disappoint! Thanks Michelle! Keep ’em coming :)

Oh they just look wonderful! I usually don’t have much luck with my frostings, they never really turn out that well. Luckily, my Mum, brother, and Grandpa don’t care and are very happy to be the guinea pigs in my baking adventures. Your frostings sounds so simple and delicious that I definitely need to make some cupcakes tomorrow. :D Hopefully they turn out right, unlike the grainy-ness my frosting usually takes on. I really want one of these cupcakes, lol. They look scrumptious!

A-MAZING!! The cupcake had a great texture and was not too sweet or dense like other recipes I’ve tried. The color combo with the light frosting and dark cake was gorgeous! I used hazelnut-flavored coffee and it tasted awesome! I’m so glad I found this wonderful website! Can’t wait to try more recipes and ideas!

Hi Sue, I really did just swirl it around the cupcake; I suppose on the one that looks like ribbons I may have lifted the tip up a little high and let it “fall” instead of guiding it as closely, if that makes sense.

Hi just stumbled to your website, was actually looking for a butternut squash soup recipe and thanks to my sweet tooth started looking at your cupcakes. Being a coffee addict I LOVE the mocha cupcakes, they look so elegant and delicious. Forgive me if its an obvious answer but I just wanted to ask which shape/size you use to pipe the icing on the cupcakes?

these cupcakes look amazing!! =) i’m attempting to try and make these for a party (double the recipe and make it into a 2 layered cake!) hope it turns out, i can’t wait to make them!! thanks so much for the recipe :)

These look so good, but I can’t seem to find espresso powder anywhere. Can I substitute it with instant coffee granules instead? But I was thinking that it would probably not dissolve well in the frosting since it’s more grainy. Any suggestions? Thanks! :)

Hi Kat, Have you checked Italian groceries? If not, you could also purchase online (Amazon or King Arthur Flour). I have never used instant coffee as a substitute so I can’t say for sure what types of results you’d get.

Just wanted to let you know I made these and your red velvet cupcakes for my daughters’ school’s Teacher Appreciation Week. The leftovers came into my office for sampling, and they received very high marks. Thanks for the wonderful blog and the great recipes. My frosting isn’t nearly as lovely as yours, but it’s still layered high with love.

I have to say, this recipe has yet to fail me. At first, I was shocked at the frosting composition and made half recipes of it. Now, I actually have the 1M tip and understand why you made so much, though I do suggest a 3/4 recipe. Still, I cannot deny that this is the BEST cupcake recipe I’ve ever tried. I look forward to baking more of your recipes :)

I’m sorry if you already answered this but I want to make this into 2-8″ round cake pans. Will the batter for 12 cupcakes be enough? Or do you suggest doubleing the recipe? Thank you so much – they are delicious! I have made them countless times and the frosting never fails.

I MADE THESE CUPCAKES WHICH WERE TERRIFIC BUT WOULDN’T HOLD TOGETHER IF I ADD 1 MORE EGG TO THE RECEIPE WOULD THAT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE FROSTING WAS WONDERFULL WONDERFUL NOT TO SWEET. COULD I ADD 1 TEASPOON OF CORNSYRUP TO STABILIZE THE FROSTING. THANKS FOR YOUR WEBSITE. BK

Hi BK, Not sure what you mean that they wouldn’t hold together? Did the crumble when you tried to eat them? If you didn’t alter the ingredients at all I’m not sure what could have caused this, other than overbaking and causing them to be dry and crumbly. As far as the frosting goes, are you finding it to be too soft? If so, I would add more powdered sugar to stiffen it up a bit. I don’t really like adding corn syrup unless it’s absolutely necessary.

THANKS FOR THE REPLY. THE CUPCAKE WAS VERY LIGHT AND CRUMBLY. HOW MANY OZ IN A CUP OF FLOUR I MIGHT HAVE USED TO MUCH. CAN I ADD ANOTHER EGG TO STABILIZE IT UP. I MADE YOUR MARGARITA CUPCAKES THEY WERE PERFECT THE PAPERS PEELED AWAY PERFECTLY. REALLY GOOD. THANKS AGAIN

I’m not sure what you mean by “stronger”. I personally would not add another egg because it could cause the cupcakes to be extra dense, and with the ingredients the way they are result in a fluffy, moist cupcake.

I made these tonight with a slight tweak. Instead of the vanilla extract in the cake I added coconut, and then sprinkled toasted coconut on top. The icing by the was is DEVINE! OMG I could eat a bowl of it. Anyways, my kids declared them “Heaven” so I’d say that’s a success. Thanks for sharing your recipe :)

OMG!!! These were to DIE for! I had been eying these for a while, I made them for my mom’s b-day. She ADORED them! Thanks for the recipe. The way the butter is whipped makes this icing really light. Yum, yum, yum!!!

Hi Michelle, I really was disappointed in the cake portion of this cupcake. I found it extremely dry, however I do not know why b/c everyone else said it was perfectly moist. I ate it with a fork, and it fell apart on every bite. I completed the hunt for a perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, it is said to be the one Georgetown Cupcake uses (doubtfully). Here’s the link if anyone wants it. http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_talk/blog/?id=55436 Allie(:

Your cupcakes & espresso frosting are SO delicious. Thank you for sharing it with us. =) I could literally just eat the batter. These are also great after being chilled overnight in the fridge. I made them to include in a care package for my friend studying for CPA exams; I am sure these will lift her up. Thanks again, I’ll be making them again soon!

This recipe is so yummy. I tried it out yesterday and my family loved it! The frosting is so tasty and the cake was so moist. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I will definitely be making these again!

So I made these tonight and the flavor is fantastic, especially the frosting. However I made mini cupcakes and they came out dry. I dont normally have this problem, but I dont normally make mini’s. I baked them on 325 for 15 minutes instead of what you listed above. Any advice on how to make sure they come out moist.

I’m a follower of your blog all the way from New Zealand, just whipped these cupcakes up from your recipe this afternoon and felt I must commend you on a fantastic recipe. The cupcake was light and fluffy and the buttercream soft and airy, I will most definitely be making these again!

I made these cupcakes yesterday and they are delicious and just as moist today. The only problem is the recipe only makes 12 cupcakes and that’s not enough to share. Can you double the recipe to make 24 instead?

I just made this frosting but increased the vanilla and espresso to two tsp each (for a friend who luuuurves coffee flavored sweets), and it was PERFECT! aaaand…it was my first time ever making buttercream! this recipe is keeper- silky, sweet, and with a great coffee kick. easy, too. thanks :)

Help! I have just taken my first batch out of the oven. The centers are sinking. Any thoughts? I do check my oven temp frequently..it is ok. Have I over/under beat?? I want to do a second batch right away, but would like to know what I should change…Thanks…..sue

I made these yesterday and they are hands down the best cupcakes I’ve ever made (I make a lot of cupcakes!!) I almost ate all 12 myself! I froze 5 of them (not frosted) and took them out this afternoon and they were just as delicious as when they were fresh baked!! They were so good that I am making them again right now!! I may attempt to make mini ones though, I have some of the frosting leftover and I think it’s a perfect amount for a batch of minis! Thanks for a great recipe!!

Hey! I recently made some great cupcakes and started getting into baking again. I had a sudden discovery of the most amazing aisle in Michael’s…. and ended up getting a ton of stuff for decorating. Please post that demonstration for the icing as soon as possible! I really want mine to look that fantastic as I plan on making a ton of them and giving them out to people =) It makes them look extra delicious ! I really hope you can put up a video soon!!! Thanks!

You are my new hero! I made these back in August for my husband’s birthday and STILL cannot stop thinking about them! I’ve made them 3 times since them and will make them again next week. Everyone I’ve made them for loves them, including a friend who hates coffee flavored anything! Thank you thank you for this amazing recipe!

hello..based on the comments, i may have found the perfect mocha cupcake recipe. is there any difference between incorporating by hand or an electric mixer the dry ingredients to the buttered sugar-butter mixture? because i’m not sure if overbeating the batter affects the cupcakes. thanks!

i see..wow, no wonder my cupcakes are super dense! thank you! =) i live in the philippines and i am new to baking. as to frosting, i’m a disaster! the last time i tried, 1 batch became so runny and the other got more than enough powdered sugar it got so hard and cracked easily. i’m so glad i chanced upon your link while googling for the perfect mocha cupcake recipe yesterday because i really learned a lot in a span of 1 day. many many thanks! =)

These cupcakes were amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe… I did run into a problem, however. The frosting I made looked nothing like that of which you made… It ended up extremely thick and quite dry..actually so dry that my pastry bag didn’t want to squeeze it out! :) Any idea of what I did wrong? To prevent this? Still tasted great nonetheless..

Hmm so thick that it wouldn’t go through a pastry bag is quite thick! Did you make any changes to the ingredients or quantities, or technique used? If not, it would really difficult to say what may have gone wrong.

Hm, yes..it was at room temperature. I probably made some human error and didn’t realize it. No worries, I will surely make these cupcakes and this frosting again in the near future…I’ll see where I made mistake then. Thanks for your help!

I made this recipe tonight, and it was fantastic! My only complaint is that the cupcakes were too big and overflowed when they baked. Next time, I will make 18 cupcakes from this batter instead of 12. Not sure what happened. Other than that, though, they were absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing. :)

Hi Michelle, just wanted to let you know that your frosting is to-die-for! I didn’t use your cupcake recipe, but used the frosting for a different chocolate cupcake I made. I hope it’s okay I shared your recipe on my blog and gave you the big kudos and a link to your site :) Thank you!

Hey, just made these and they collapsed as soon as I tried to take them out of the pan. Looks like I’m turning them into cake pops. It’s moist, the flavor is good but the cupcake has no body. Any guesses of what may have gone wrong? I followed the recipe exactly.

Hi Maria, I’m sorry to hear that these didn’t quite turn out for you. Unfortunately there are a number of things that could have caused this so it’s really hard to pinpoint one cause exactly, especially without being there while they were made. Some possibilities:

– The baking powder and/or the baking soda could have been expired and didn’t work properly.

– If you opened the oven during baking it could have caused them to collapse.

– If they were taken out of the oven too early and the interior structure of the cupcake wasn’t fully cooked, they will sink when removed from the heating element.

– The oven temperature could be off; I always recommend an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature is correct.

– The batter could have been overmixed, or the cupcake liners overfilled.

Thanks for the quick response, I do believe my baking soda has expired, also as I was retracing my thoughts I remembered I only put in one egg and I had doubled the recipe, so that’s probably why they didn’t have body. I have already bought some new baking soda and will definitely make these again. The crumbs are really delicious and now I can attempt making those cake pops. :)

I made these cupcakes in my consumer ed. class for a Cupcake Wars. We added mini chocolate chips inside the cupcake batter to give the chocolatey flavor a little more *zing!* and also sprinkled some minis atop the frosting. They were a huge hit; everybody loved the look and taste of everthing!

A friend and I made these cupcakes a little while back, and they are absolutely to die for. I keep running into a problem with my frosting though, and I was hoping you could help. When I make regular “vanilla” buttercream, it binds perfectly and I have no issues with it holding up, but as soon as I try to make a chocolate or coffee buttercream, it is as though the wet ingredients don’t want to combine with the dry ingredients, and it leaks the vanilla and espresso etc. Don’t know if this makes sense, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I did use your mocha buttercream frosting, so I know I must be doing something wrong. Your frosting looks so silky and smooth, and mine acted as though it was leaking vanilla and coffee. Any ideas on what I could be doing wrong?

Just baked these and they are so scrumptious, very moist and filled with coffee flavor. I ran out of butter for the buttercreme (figures) so I used Margarine. It worked okay, although I am sure the butter would have been better. I think the extra whipping of the butter gives the buttercreme an exciting creamy texture. Thanks for a new favorite!

These cupcakes were delicious! Everyone loved them and they turned out well despite the Colorado high altitude. This is coming from a 14 year old…They were easy to make and I didn’t run into any problems. Thanks for the recipe!

These cupcakes were amazing! Not only that, but she really helped me. I emailed her a couple of questions and she responded back quickly and helped me out through some steps. Thank you so much and the cupcakes were awesome!

I finally(!) made these after bookmarking them months ago. I made a few alterations since I couldn’t find Expresso powder but they were still delicious. The only odd thing was that they were very dense. Anybody else have this result?

I found the frosting to be a little thick and hard to pipe, but other than that these were really easy and delicious! I think my frosting was thick because I used shortening instead of butter because I NEVER have luck with butter in frosting. Good Recipe though!

I made these for a bridal shower today. This was the brides fave flavor and she said they were the best she’d ever had. Everyone was amazed at how good they were and so was I! I made regular buttercream because I needed to tint the icing pink and green and place fondant flowers on top for a shabby chic theme. Can’t wait to make them with your buttercream. Thanks for a great recipe!!

I tried making these cupcakes for my teacher friends and they were a huge hit. The only problem I had was that the coffee grounds did not dissolve all the way. How can I fix this? I had coffe grounds in both the cupcake and the frosting. The cupcakes were still delicious, but I want to make them prett also. Thank you for your help.

Duh! I used coffee grounds I purchased from Starbucks! I even asked them to grind them really fine, but I guess that does not work. Thank you for your reply. I really love your site. I’ve tried a few of your recipes and really loved the results. Berna

Hi Therese, The recipe as-is won’t be enough for a two-layer cake (which is what I assume you are going for). You will need to double the recipe (I’ve never doubled it, so I can’t say for sure if it’s finicky or not – some recipes can be when doubled) and the icing, and use 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans.

I made these cupcakes today and they are the best I’ve ever made. Everyone who tried them LOVED them! I bake a lot and everyone said these were by far their favorites. The cake was super moist and the frosting was perfect! Anyone looking for cupcakes to impress, these are the ones to choose!!

These are absolutely delicious! I made them yesterday for my fiance’s coworkers birthday. He didn’t even take them all to work because he had to hoard some for himself. After he had a few he said “thank you lady from that blog” so delicious!!! love me some coffee especially in a cupcake:)

these cupcakes are so fluffy and moist! i did add an extra teaspoon of baking powder and used my leftover icing from the red velvet cupcakes i bakes 2 days ago. I must say, cream cheese goes with ANYTHING. so yummy. THANKS MICHELLE!

These are seriously the best cupcakes ever. Like melt in your mouth amazing!! Thank you for sharing. I will be making these not on a regular basis only because they are way too good and I could eat the whole batch to myself!!

Hi Val, I usually get mine at the local Italian market, they always carry it. You can also get it online from places like King Arthur Flour, Penzeys, and Amazon. Just make sure you buy instant espresso powder. If you use regular ground coffee it won’t dissolve as it should.

I made these tonight and they are SOOO good! I’m writing a blog about them as we speak; just wanted to let you know (giving you credit, of course). What you did with the buttercream is absolute genius. It’s amazing! It really does melt in your mouth, as you said. Bravo! :)

I used a different cake recipe, and really didn’t care for the icing it came along with because it called for 6 cups of powdered sugar, so I thought I would try yours. Was I ever glad I did…your method of beating the butter etc., made the buttercream just heavenly and so silky. Yummo and I am NOT a buttercream fan. I prefer the whipped cream, the only thing I did was eliminate 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar because I doubled the recipe, and the consistency was still god enough to pipe.

Hi Ellie, The ingredient quantities in the cupcake recipes are what I used to frost that number of cupcakes. In pretty much every case, there is some frosting leftover, but I’d always prefer to have too much than not enough. As you can see, I love to pile frosting high on cupcakes, so if you follow the quantities in the recipe I think you should have enough. You definitely could always double it, but I wanted you to know what was taken into account when I provide a frosting recipe.

I just wanted to let you know that I linked back to this post from my blog.(http://bit.ly/LobvqO) I finally achieved success with the frosting and even have a picture to prove it :) Thank you for such a great recipe. It is tucked away in my “keepers” file!

Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! I made them for a party and everyone just raved over them!! The cake was fluffy and rich and the frosting was creamy and perfect balance of espresso to chocolate. 5 stars!!

OMG! This Mocha cupcake recipe is the best EVER! I made them yesterday and came out perfect, perfec texture, perfect flavor! I just used a Nutella frosting with chocolate sprinkles on top & it was DELICIOUS! Took some to work & everyone loved it!!!! Thanks so much for the recipe!!

These were super good! But when I made mine, they overflowed and got crusty on the top. Any tips on how to prevent this in the future? Also if I double the recipe to make a 2 layer 9- inch cake, how long do you think they would need to bake? Thanks in advance

Hi Kala, I would just make sure that you only fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Some older pans aren’t the same size (my mom has pans that are all different sizes!), so making sure they aren’t over-filled will ensure they don’t overflow.

Thank you so very much for this absolutely mouth watering recipe… I tried this out for my husband’s birthday party and I had 60 guests, so I figured I would multiply all ingredients 5 fold, but I was dubious as well, as to how well the multiplying of all the components would work out towards the overall success of the cupcakes, but still went on… I was a bit worried about taking the exact milk and coffee liquid measures, so made only 2 cups worth of the liquid, but I had to remake the liquid mixture untill it was also 5 fold… AMAZING!!! I would have to rate this as the best recipe I have ever had to make, as it is simple and doles out amazing results… The cupcakes were super soft (as opposed to the general opinion of how the cakes become dense as the recipe is multiplied) and I put the chocolate frosting you had given in another recipe as I live in Sri Lanka and expresso powder isn’t available in any of the stores nearby… The cupcakes were scrumtious and all my guests thought so, some wanted the recipe and they couldn’t believe it was a recipe I had taken online… Some of my guests wanted to take extra’s home, it was sooooooooo good… Thank you so much brown eyed baker, your cupcakes were like the frosting on my cake…

Hi, i love to bake and i am 15 years old, and i don’t make coffee often… about how many tbs or tsp of coffee go into the strong coffee? and what kind, if there is a special kind? Thank you so much, i just found your website and it’s beautiful.

Hi Gloria, If you don’t often make coffee, you could always head to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts and just buy a coffee, that would be easy! Otherwise I usually use this formula for coffee – for however many cups as you’re making, use 1/2 that many scoops + 1. For example, if you fill your coffee pot to the 8 cup line, I would use 5 scoops. I am not sure about tablespoons/teaspoons – I use a coffee scoop when making coffee and am not sure what the equivalent is.

I was very excited to find an eggless cupcake since my daughter-in-law is allergic and then kept reading again to make sure I hadn’t missed it. Ahhh…the instructions show “the egg” but the list of ingredients do not. Thought you might want to know!

This is the 3rd cupcake recipe that I have made from this site. I love the recipes and the pictures. However, each time I have ended up with more batter than the yeild specifies. Tonight I made these cupcakes, and the directions say to divide the batter among the 12 cupcakes, and if I had done that, they would be overflowing. As it is, they over-baked the cups and are all touching one another. I filled 2 more cupcakes and filled them more reasonably (the 3/4 usually recommended), and I think these will be perfect with the frosting. The other two recipes that made more than the yield are the Lemoncello and the Irish Car Bomb. I didn’t mind having extra cupcakes, but with the Lemoncello I ended up needing to make 2 batches of the frosting in order to have enough for the 12, and just enough for the additional 6 that were made. I’m probably doing something wrong, but I don’t know what.

Hi Lynne, Do you happen to have an older muffin tin? I ask because I have attempted to bake a couple of times with my mom’s tins, and the sizes of the muffin cups vary dramatically from pan to pan, and especially compared to the ones I own.

Hi, my tins are not new, but they aren’t ancient either. I get the usual amount of cupcakes from a mix using them. Should the instructions just indicate how much to fill the tins? Then it doesn’t really matter what size they are and if they make more. BTW, when I wrote my comment, I hadn’t finished making the cupcakes. I did, and they were delicious. I found the cake extremely crumbly – had to eat it with a fork to not get it all over yourself. I did just barely have enough frosting to frost the amount of cupcakes I got (15) using the large decorating tip. I think I could have doubled the frosting, and I might have had a bit left over, but I prefer that to running out.

These are seriously the best cupcakes I’ve ever made!! Even my father in law who doesn’t like coffee LOVES them. I’ve had requests to make them at the last 4 family outings. Just amazing. I also like to sprinkle them with cocoa powder and stick a pirouette cookie in them. Even just the cupcake without frosting is incredible, moist and chocolatey with a hint of coffee. Perfect. Thanks!!

These are delicious. A few issues for me, though. The batter made more than the 12 standard-size cupcakes. I should have made 13 or 14 but instead overfilled my 12. :-(. Then I didn’t have quite enough frosting for the 12–and it certainly wouldn’t have covered the extra one or two. (I did pipe as well with a 1M tip.) Finally, I had the same issue with cake structure as several commenters. While very tender “pan” cake is wonderful, a handheld cake needs to be sturdier. Mine just fell into a tender, crumbly, delicious mess. Next time I’m going to try subbing bread flour for the all-purpose (a tip I picked up from a Cooks Illustrated chocolate cupcake recipe) to increase the protein content. Thanks for the recipe!

I just got done making these. I greeted them w/ lukewarm feelings when i pulled them out of the oven. But then i took a bite after frosting them and… OH MY. They are delicious! The cake or frosting by themselves are sort of bland but together they are wonderful! I couldnt find espresso pwdr @ the store so i used instant coffee instead. I’ll definetly make again!

These came out amazing. I ended up with more than 12, but still the best ones I’ve made to date. So yummy. The frosting is my favorite. I am wondering though, would it be possible to make these into a cake? I have tried using cupcake recipes for cakes before and they come out completely different. Thank you so much for such a great recipe.

Often the only thing that changes is the time cooked because they are individual cakes rather than one big cake. Any cake or cupcake recipe can be made into the opposite. Depending on the temperature, cupcakes bake anywhere from 16-20 minutes and cakes 32-40 (size dep. as well). If you’re making in a standard cake pan I would start peeking in at 30 minutes- you can tell when it needs 2 minutes or 10 minutes. I’m sure your cake will turn out great!! :)

I made these this past weekend. They were AWESOME! I used instant coffee granules because that’s what I had on hand. I used 2x as much granules in the frosting to get more of an Espresso flavor vs regular coffee. My sister-n-law took the leftovers to her school & they were a HUGE hit! The other teachers said it was better than $5-6/cupcakes at a local cupcake shop! The icing was fluffy & light! I absolutely adore your blog & recipes! I have made dozens of your recipes & have not found a single one that doesn’t turn out divine! Thank you so much for sharing!

This recipe is phenomenal! I enjoy baking cupcakes for my family and friends, so I often find a great recipe and put my own twist on it. After spending my summer fulfilling cupcake orders, I’ve learned how to determine if the result will taste delicious just by the ingredients and their amounts. This was one of those recipes. I did change things up a bit, however it was nothing that would change the consistency, and as is, this a recipe I will be keeping and making plenty of times! I needed a coffee inspired recipe so I made mocha coconut cupcakes by switching out the vanilla for coconut extract, and I used kona blend coffee. I greatly crave the frosting as much as the cake, and the frosting recipe more than frosted all my cupcakes and then some. I don’t prefer such gritty frosting so I usually add several tablespoons of half and half once I do the initial bowl scrape, but since I bought an 12oz whole milk for the recipe I used that instead. It seemed to work just fine. To finish the recipe, I topped it with a homemade caramel drizzle, and some toasted coconut flakes (super easy to do btw!). Doubling the cake recipe gave me 24 3/4full regular ice cream scoop cupcakes, and 16 mini cupcakes. So the original recipe would yield around 15-16 regular cupcakes using this scoop. I decided at the last minute not to substitute the espresso so I searched my city until I found it. It was more than worth it and I would suggest against it if you’re in the same situation. If you aren’t in a hurry, put on some good Pandora and enjoy the time it takes to bake these- don’t hurry if you can! These cupcakes are worth the wait! Thanks so much for such a great recipe :)

I made these cupcakes a couple of times now…. THEY ARE THE BEST! I bought some of those stick cookies (tuiles) that I bought at the grocery store.. they have a chocolate filling) I just put a half of one standing up in the icing.. looks sort of like a straw. These cupcakes are everyone’s faves!

I threw out the first batch of these cupcakes I made, because in following the above recipe which says to split the batter into 12 liners in a standard size pan made the cupcakes overflow and burn. The batter tasted so good that I tried it again, this time in 20 standard size cups. Much better results this time. Will post another comment after they cool and they are frosted. They smell sooooooo good!

I tried these cupcakes last night and they came out really light, like they weren’t finished cooking, but they did. I followed everything step by step. Also I had a really hard time dissolving the expresso powder into the coffee. Almost impossible. Any advice on making them better?

Inspired by the BEB, I took this recipe, the margarita cupcake recipe (to ensure the proper amount of alcohol blend), and chocolate buttercream recipe and made a fantastic conundrum.

I followed the majority of the cupcake recipe, but substituted 2 TBL of Patron Cafe for 2 TBL of the coffee.

I also brushed the tops with Patron Cafe.

I love chocolate (don’t think I’m alone here) and I love french vanilla (hazlenut and vanilla if you didn’t already know) so for the frosting I followed the espresso buttercream recipe, but increased the powered sugar to 2 3/4 c, and added 2 TBL of Patron Cafe, 1 Tea of Hazelnut extract, and 4 oz of melted semisweet chocolate.

And it’s amazing!!!!

The conundrum is do you eat them in the morning because of the espresso or in the evening because of the Patron Cafe…or maybe both. =D

Just made these myself and they are great! Thanks so much for the recipe, I dusted mine with cinnamon and would suggest that for anyone thinking about making them, it adds depth to the flavor and hides any mistakes you make while icing them. I also made a double batch of the cake part but kept the frosting as a single batch, and I still had leftovers! I can never seem to use enough of my frosting when I make cakes…

you are welcome. is there any special kind of pattern on the decorating tip or any special code number for it? because i have a Wilton 1M too and it doesn’t come out like yours. maybe you can take a picture of your Wilton 1M and post it here for the convenience of me and everyone else who are wondering too? thanks! :)

thank you so much! i don’t have the same decorating tip as yours but i am sure to buy one like yours the next time i visit the bakery store. by the way, i have tried baking your peanut butter chocolate cake and it was superb! i especially love the peanut butter frosting a lot. i have received many compliments for that cupcake. however, i think the chocolate cake is a bit too oily as the baking tray has a layer of oil over the surface. i also had to use paper towels to absorb the oil from the cake. is this normal? or did i make any pistake during the preparation? other than that, it was good. i’m going to try the espresso mocha cupcakes soon! thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes. :D

Joanne, The recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, which is 4 ounces. I did a quick Google calculation and found that 4 ounces is equivalent to about 113 grams, so it looks like you used about twice as much butter as you needed to, which would explain the problem.

oh my goodness. that must have been the problem! i will definitely write that down in the recipe. thank you so much for giving me the exact amount in grams. that will definitely help a lot. thanks again! :D

I’ve baked these cupcakes a few times. The first time was when I was visting a cousin in New Jersey. She knows I love to bake and asked me to make something, so I picked this recipe. She has a Nespresso coffee machine with the pods. The cupcakes tasted like an amazing combination of Mocha and Espresso – I could taste it in the batter and in the cupcake after it came out of the oven. I came back to Vancouver, Canada and baked these with a Nespresso coffee again, and they tasted quite different – not like the amazing combination I recalled in New Jersey. I’m wondering if dissolving espresso powder into the coffee would help enhance the flavour more. Any suggestions?

Hi Satbir, That’s interesting, I wonder what would have caused them to be different. I wonder if there is a difference in the water? In any case, you could dissolve some espresso powder for a more pumped-up flavor.

Wow! These are hands down the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. Super moist and the espresso flavor was sublime. I’m practicing decorating with a 1m frosting tip (and that was super easy too) for an upcoming wedding shower/reception. I’m excited to use this recipe. Thank you!

I LOVE your recipes! I have made a few of your cupcakes, and they have all been a huge hit. They are so light and just the perfect amount of sweetness…nothing too crazy sugary. I just took these babies out of the oven and I AM SO EXCITED TO EAT THEM :)

I made these and they came out absolutely perfect! They were melt-in your mouth perfect! Everyone who tried them loved the taste! The cupcake came out really moist and soft and the butter cream complemented the cupcake well! Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe :)

I have followed you for about two years and you are my go to person when I want to make a dessert to impress. These were delicious and I got all kinds of compliments. Your frosting is prettier than mine. How do you make it look like layers of ribbon?

Hi Lorrie, So glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I used a Wilton 1M decorating tip for the frosting. Instead of swirling, I lingered in each section a little bit, which is what I think gave it that ribbon look. Hope that helps!

Hi! I just made the espresso buttercream frosting and it looks like the espresso powder didn’t dissolve so much as just mix with the vanilla. You can see the espresso IN the frosting. Is that normal?? lol…

Hi Caroline, My espresso powder dissolved right into the vanilla and you couldn’t see the specks in the frosting. Be sure you’re using instant espresso powder, and not just regular espresso powder – it will make a difference.

This sounds like a great recipe. I will definitely have to try it. Do you think if I wanted to makes these even more “chocolatey” I could add some bittersweet chocolate chips to the batter–or do you think it might change the consistency too much?

Hi Janet, You could; I tend to not like adding chips to cupcakes that are meant to be light and fluffy because I think it weighs them down. I save those for double chocolate muffins :) You could always try it, though! No harm in experimenting!

Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I’ve made it at least a half a dozen times now, and It’s always a hit! I read in your replies that you would double the recipe for a cake, but would you do the same time and temperature as well? Thanks in advance for your reply!

Definitely keep the same temperature, but you will need to bake it for a little longer, I would start checking it around 22 minutes, just to be sure you don’t overbake it. It may take a little longer than that.

Cupcake review The frosting was super super good and the cupcake were amazingly delicious. I could eat ten of these mocha cupcakes. Cupcakes made by scratch are way better then store made. The cupcakes on the website were cool which is why we wanted to make them, but we just slapped the frosting on the top. My friend wanted to just eat the bowl of frosting. Now that we made them at school, we want try to make them at home.

I love these cupcakes, and have made them numerous times. but i substituted the flour for ½ cup almond flour ½ cup coconut flour 1/3 cup tapioca flour ½ teaspoon guar gum and they came a little dyer then the original but just as tasty.

I just made these (and gave them out to friends today, who all loved them). They taste amazing and I ate all the leftover frosting… but the cake portion crumbled and fell apart, as other commenters have mentioned. The cake itself was very fluffy and moist (not at all dry). But eating the cupcake was very messy!

I baked these yesterday and they were amazingly heavenly! I got so many compliments on them! All my friends thought they were super yummy and very pretty! I topped mine off with dark chocolate shavings and these dark chocolate covered toffeed expresso bits from Trader Joes. Thanks for the recipe, a straight up 7 stars out of 5!!!!

Hi there! If I wanted to make this into a cake, there wouldn’t be any necessary changes, right? Also, If I wanted to make a layer cake with the mocha cake and just a plain coffee-flavored cake, would I be able to use this recipe and just take out the cocoa powder or would that affect the batter? Thank you for your help!

You will need to double the recipe to make a two-layer 8-inch or 9-inch round cake, or a 9×13 cake. You will need to adjust the baking time (all will take longer to bake than the cupcakes) based on the cake you decide to make. I would not just omit the cocoa powder for a coffee-flavored cake.

I just made the Espresso Buttercream Frosting. Oh mah gawd, it soooooo good! Oh, this may not be proper baking technique, but I warmed the vanilla in the microwave for a few seconds and dissolved an instant coffee mix instead. I still turned out magnificently!!!!!

let me just say this recipe looks like it makes awesome frosting. I have a question though. I’m doing a culinary final at my school and I’d love to use your recipe. Instead of making my cupcakes all at once on that final day, I plan on making my cupcakes the day before and other parts of it days before. I heard buttercream can last for a while. Does your buttercream recipe last for AT LEAST 2-3 days? I heard that crisco lasts in the refrigerator compared to sugar. Please reply back Id be an honor. thanks!!!

Hi Ewi, You can make the buttercream ahead. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days, but it will need to be re-whipped before you use it. You could also frost the cupcakes up to a day or so ahead of when you’ll serve them.

I absolutely love the flavor of these but after four batches, checking and rechecking measurements, I have an oven thermometer and even being very careful not to over do the brown sugar I have only had one batch actually rise the rest were flat, should they be like this? If not any ideas how to solve this problem? Thank you.

For a friend’s engagement party, I doubled this recipe and baked it in a 9 inch spring foam pan.The top fell a bit but I suspect that’s because I opened the oven too early. My frosting had expresso granules in them (no idea why) but I liked the look of it with the icing. It made it a bit more interesting to look at as I did not decorate or design the cake. Lol. Overall, the combination of the cake and frosting…*sigh* (I am in coffee heave right now). Shame all I could get was a taste!!

I have a coffee/chocolate loving man in my life, and he loves when I bake for him, so these were absolute perfection. I managed to get 14 perfect cupcakes out of the recipe (I was debating between diving the remaining batter between the 12 or just making extra cupcakes, and I’m glad I went the extra cupcakes route because I’m sure the wells would have overflowed otherwise). I could feel how light they were when I lifted them out of the pan! My brother said they taste like Coffee Crisp (Canadian chocolate bar, for those that don’t know), and my sister was scooping the remaining frosting out of the bowl by the spatula-full. All in all, a great cupcake success. Thank you :)

When I tried these, they didn’t rise. I think the recipe wanted 1 1/3 cups of flour, instead of 1-1/3 cups of flour. I tried the latter, and I guess that’s why they didn’t rise. I don’t live at an elevated height, and I don’t know what went wrong…

I haven’t made these cupcakes but I have made the frosting several times to top my favorite chocolate, espresso cake/cupcakes and brownies. The frosting is delicious, thank you so much for sharing the recipe. :) (Hershey’s Black Magic cake is my favorite chocolate, espresso cake recipe and it is incredibly easy)

OH MY GOD!!! These cupcakes are to die for. Just finished making them and had to taste test. They practically melt in your mouth and the buttercream frosting is divine! They are perfect. Thanks so much for sharing this amazing recipe Michelle.

I just made these and wow. The cupcakes itself are fluffy and delicious. The frosting was also so good, but the only thing I did to it was increased the amount of espresso powder to 1 tablespoon. Other than that so good and will definitely be making these again.

My cupcakes turned out terrible! :( They didn’t rise in a dome shape but rather just spread out. I live in Calgary, AB, Canada where our elevation is very high. Perhaps that’s the reason. Or overworked in the mixer. They taste ok but don’t peel out of the wrapper properly. No noticeable coffee flavor either. I’d recommend using 1/2c fresh espresso instead. (I’m a seasoned baker 15+ yrs)

Thank you so much for the receipen, the cupcakes were greatttt greatttt excellently perfect! Loved them and they taste so good. I think the frosting is too sweet for my taste so next time I’ll put less sugar in it. Thank you very very much!

Made these today and the cupcakes were outstanding! First time having coffee flavored cupcakes, BUT! The buttercream was waaaay too sweet for me. I’m going to use a chocolate swiss buttercream recipe and maybe add a bit of espresso. Hopefully it turns out better. =)

Hi ms Michelle, I really really love your recipes. But I seem to be having problems with this one, I do hope for your help. I’ve used your red velvet, vanilla and mocha cupcakes recipes and they all turned out great. I’ve even used then for cakes by just adding a little but more liquid (around 30% more), the red velvet and vanilla were a success but this mocha always turns out to be gummy and nothing like the cupcakes version. I’ve done this thrice for mocha but failed. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks

Hi Hana, I’m not sure what size cake you’re trying to make, but my recommendation would be to double this recipe to make a 9×13 or two-layer 8″ or 9″ cake; do not add more liquid. You’ll need to bake for a longer amount of time, as well.

Every time I make these people think I bought them from a store! An absolutely perfect recipe EVERY time. I do find that you have to double the icing recipe to cover the amount of cupcakes this recipe makes. It says it yields 12; it always comes out to double that for me…which is and never will be a problem.

These are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made and might be the best I’ve ever eaten! They take exactly 20 minutes in my oven, and cooking them on the rack below center seems to keep the tops from toughening. I sift the dry ingredients together, and also sift the powdered sugar. Had 2 for breakfast today with a Diet Coke. Thx Michelle!!!!

I usually don’t comment, but felt it was necessary. Have made these cupcakes several times and they always come out perfect! Easy recipe to follow, and thanks to you I have many requests for these delicious and moist treats!

I just made these cupcakes. They were very light. My oven is very hot, so next time I will let them bake for 14 or 15 minutes so that they would be more moist. I had problems with the frosting. First, I used low quality powdered sugar so it did not dissolve quickly in the butter. Then the espresso granules did not dissolve into the batter, so it did not have a nice pale tan color but more of a speckled look to it. Then the frosting was somewhat on the soft side. I will try the frosting with much better quality powdered sugar next time. Thank you for this recipe.

Found your recipe via Google when looking for coffee flavoured cupcakes. I made these on Sunday and will be making another batch tonight (Tuesday). Hugh hit with everyone at work. Beautifully light cupcake and the butter cream is to die for. This will now become my “go to” cupcake recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Your mocha frosting looks amazing and I’d love to use it for my Mom’s birthday cake! Do you think it would hold up if used in layers or would it be too light and squish out the sides? I’m planning to bake 4 layers in loaf-size pan.

I was going to ask about substituting buttermilk, too, but I just went for it because I didn’t think to ask in time. They were amazing! (I usually increase the baking soda a little when I do that, but didn’t this time.) I found the cupcakes to be very moist, but I always set the timer for a few minutes before they’re supposed to be done and check them from there. The second there is no liquid batter on the toothpick I take them out. So, I’m not sure if the buttermilk added to the moistness or not. I always forget that buttermilk is low/nonfat, too. Not that I care! Thanks for yet another great recipe!

OMG soooooo good! I love my coffee, and you put coffee and chocolate together and i’m in heaven. The frosting tastes just like those Coffee Creams chocolates from Laura Secord. My grandma used to give me those all the time when I was a kid (why she gave caffeinated chocolates to a 6 year old I’ll never know but she got me hooked lol). Love this recipe! Definitely one of my favourite cupcake recipes you’ve posted!

These look scrumptious! I’ve been musing over a good combo for a chocolate and coffee cupcake to toss some toffee chips in (inspired by Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar crunch)… But I am curious– if I wanted to use coffee liqueur in the frosting, would you substitute it for the same amount of coffee? Or do a mixture of coffee and coffee liqueur? Thanks! :)

Made this recipe, they were awesome! I had to substitute instant coffee powder for the espresso powder but they still turned out perfect. So incredibly rich I could only stand to eat one. I’ll definitely be making more. Thanks for the recipe!

I have been making these cupcakes for a while, and the one issue that I have is that the tops fall a little and sometimes when handled, the tops fall off. Any tips or thoughts about what I might be doing wrong?

Hi Ashley, I’m not sure why the tops would be falling off, unless perhaps you are over-filling the cups and the extra batter is settling in on top of the pan. That might make that extra little top especially delicate.

Hi Riz, I would not recommend refrigerating the cupcakes, as doing so could cause them to dry out. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days before frosting and serving. I would not frost them more than a day in advance, so that they are still fresh when you serve them.

I have a question. I made a double batch of these. Can you tell me why they poofed up while baking but then just went flat and kinda hung over the sides? A few also sunk a little in the middle but they are done. Any ideas what to do next time? Thanks. :-)

Oh, my gosh. I made these tonight for a “cafe’ ” themed event tomorrow, and they are more than I imagined. I quadrupled the recipe to make 48 cupcakes, and had enough extra batter remaining to make one 9″ round cake. The texture is light and fluffy, but not dry. I could not find “espresso powder,” so I ground an espresso blend bean and used those. The flavor of the cake is distinctly–but not over-powerfully–coffee. I overfilled the first batch, and the result was flat-topped, too-big cupcakes–the second batch, I filled the cups about 2/3 full and they were perfect. My buttercream does not look as lusciously smooth as browneyedbaker’s, but that is probably due to my not using espresso powder. However, the bite of the coffee cuts out the strong sweetness of the frosting to a perfect coffee flavor…I could eat it by the spoonful. So far, rave reviews–except from the coffee haters who dug in thinking it was chocolate/Oreo cake and were unpleasantly surprised.

I’ve made these cupcakes from this recipe a few times now. I just baked a batch this morning for my son as he was invited to a Valentine’s Day party at a girl’s house (that he is trying to impress). He was asked to bring a treat, and he SPECIFICALLY asked for these. They are his absolute favourite. And his little valentine loves them too. A few heart sprinkles, and they will be perfect. Thanks for sharing this.

Ok, so I know these comments are supposed to be helpful but if your looking for a helpful comment keep on looking. I really haven’t tried this icing but Im so tired of looking at it and not eating it. IM DIEING TO TRY THIS ICING OMG

Hi Michelle….. these are wonderful! I made them into minis. People enjoyed them. I need your opinion on cupcake liners. Growing up all my Mom used was the light yellow, blue and pink ones. Now there are so many choices, I cannot find one that works all the way around. There are plain papers, waxed papers, some that say “no fade”, some with foil —– Do you have a favorite? Either they do bleed grease, the colors of the paper fade, the cake sticks to some, etc. I am hoping that you have made enough to have a favorite. Thanks again for this recipe. It is special!!!

Well, it was our fifth time making these tonight. My son wanted to learn how to bake, and asked me to show him. When I asked him what he wanted to bake, he asked if we could do the mocha cupcakes he loves so well. He then grabbed my iPhone to find the recipe online! He remembered what the website looked like from last time.

Anyway, we doubled it to make 24. They are amazing. Especially if you love that coffee flavour.

I tried this recipe a few days ago, and they came out super moist, but fell apart. I also overfilled the cupcake tins, trying to use all the batter. I also dumped all the coffee/milk mixture into the butter/sugar, then mixed all the flour mixture. I also sifted my flour–I think this is where my mistake was. I was unable to find espresso powder at my local grocery store, so I just brewed espresso and mixed that with the coffee, and added the liquid espresso to the frosting.

Fast forward to today…I did not sift the flour, and I alternated the coffee/milk mixture with the flour mixture. I found the espresso powder at a large grocery store today, I also had 16 cupcakes vs. 12, so they were the perfect size and no overflowing! The cupcakes were awesome, moist, but not falling apart and the perfect blend of coffee and chocolate.

Made these as one of three flavors for my nephew’s wedding July 5. They were beautiful and tasted heavenly…at least that’s what the guests told me. ; ) I also topped each one with a candy I found at a local shoppe: a chocolate covered chocolate in the shape of a coffee bean. TO. DIE. FOR. I doubled the recipe and it turned out just fine…I loved the way they tasted: chocolate at first then a few seconds later than wonderful coffee taste. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

Hi! I just wanted to say that the icing recipe is delicious! I made it for my birthday (I made a three-layered vanilla cake with the espresso icing and my cousin made these cute little fondant flowers to decorate it) and it tasted incredible! Thank you very much for posting it.

I absolutely love these cupcakes! The first couple times making them were difficult trying to get everything right and so it was the right consistency (I’ll admit, the first time I had a sludgey cupcake tin) but after the first 5 times it’s become a breeze to make these. They’re not too overpowering with the coffe which is good considering I don’t like coffee and the cupcake with the frosting is absolutely divine! Tip for anyone making these: don’t eat just the frosting by itself. It’s very strong and will probably make you feel a little ill. D:

I’ve made these a couple of times and each time they have been fantastic! No problems. If you are having a problem perhaps it is the baking time, the mixing order of ingredients, oven temperature setting, ingredients not at room temperature………..?

I haven’t tried the cake portion of the recipe (yet), but the frosting is unbelievably amazing! I frosted pumpkin cupcakes with it for a coworker’s birthday, and while everyone liked the cupcakes, they went absolutely crazy for the frosting, calling it the best frosting ever. I loved the texture that the butter-whipping process created; I hadn’t made frosting that way before, but I will from now on!

These cupcakes are AH-MAY-ZING! Especially for coffee lovers. I have made them several times using various combos of espresso powder or instant coffee (whatever I have on hand or is on sale at the time) and they still come out great every time! Soft, moist, rich, and the frosting is perfectly sweet and fluffy. Thanks for a great recipe I will be keeping in my rotation for years to come!

These are fantastic! I had to bake something for an office meeting and decided to give these a try. My colleagues are hard to please, but they LOVED these! I could not find espresso powder (I live in a rural area) so I used a good instant coffee and the cupcakes tasted wonderful! Also, they are super moist.

This recipe is terrible. I have been cooking for years and never had failed to make muffins nor cupcakes. This time I decided to try something new and found this recipe. I did everthing exactly as said. Nevertheless, my cupcakes turned out to be so light that they completely fell apart. I had to waste all my materials for nothing. The cupcakes didnt even taste good. They tasted like nothing. I do not recommend this recipe at all. It looks all pretty and everything, but do not let your eyes fool you.

I made these a while ago and followed the recipe and directions exactly except using Starbucks VIA instant coffee powder instead of espresso powder. Man oh man did they turn out well – way better than expected for a rookie baker!! Will make these soon for a special occasion and will have just as much fun and with hopefully results as beautiful and delicious as the first time! Definitely recommend this recipe to anyone and everyone!

Hi I made these cupcakes because I am a huge fan of chocolate and coffee, so of course mocha is the ideal flavour combination for me. However-these did not work at all. I left them in for the required amount of time, at the correct temperature, but they did not rise, they did not seem to cook in the middle (it was raw looking and tasting, very gooey) and they tasted like flour. I had to throw them away:( Does anyone have ANY idea why this would happen? This has happened to me once before with a Red Velvet Cake recipe that I swear by and have made hundreds of times, but just once this exact same thing happened. I would be so grateful to anyone who has a solution for this problem!

This was my very first time making cupcakes and they came out perfectly! The recipe and proportions of cake to icing and serving size are on point . Not too coffeey either; the icing has the perfect espresso flavor

Hi, These cupcakes are a real favorite in my house! However, I was wondering if I’m the only one having trouble with the liners separating from the cupcake? This is the only recipe i make that this is happening every time. Any suggestions?

These cupcakes were the BEST I’ve ever had and a huge hit at work! I was wondering if you’ve ever used this to make a double or triple layer cake–or if you have any advice as to what ratios/cooking time would be needed…

This was the first recipe I ever made off of your site. To this day, it is still my favorite go-to cupcake recipe. I have never had anyone not like them. I top them with a chocolate covered espresso bean for an added kick :-)

Hello! I am from the UK and am unsure when the recipe says sugar (granulated sugar) if I should use UK caster sugar or UK granulated sugar – our granulated sugar has bigger granules that yours but the the caster sugar granules are finer than your granulated sugar. I am worried our granulated sugar will be too grainy in recipes and perhaps not cream properly?, but the caster sugar may then be too sweet. Which should I use when baking these american recipes?

Hi JP – I’m familiar with caster sugar, but I’m not familiar with UK granulated sugar, so without knowing how granule it is, I would say you could go ahead and use caster sugar in this recipe. I would go by weight since it’s finer, and use 3.5 ounces. I hope that helps!

I have made these cupcakes multiple times since you first published this outstanding recipe. I was preparing to make again, and came to your website. I couldn’t find the instructions I remember guiding the addition of cream to make the fluffiest frosting ever for this recipe. Seems like there was an original posting, then a follow-on posting sharing the goodness of adding cream for great taste/effect. Now I am unable to find it and it was by far my favorite frosting tip. Would you please consider re-posting that version so I can print and have on have FOREVER?! Thanks!

Hi Andrea, Hmmm I actually didn’t change this post very much, save for some grammar corrections. There was nothing in here originally about adding cream to the frosting. Are you sure you aren’t thinking about another cupcake recipe?

I made these for my husband and they turned out perfect! So moist and light and delicious, and the frosting was great too! I added just a touch of heavy cream to it cause I like how it lightens it up a little. He absolutely loved them and told me to make sure I keep the recipe. Thanks Chica! :)

This sounds and looks delicious. I am looking to make a double layered 9in cake.. would this recipe work as written or should I double it? And what about the frosting? Thanks on advance for any tips! Can’t wait to make it :)

These were by far the best cupcakes I have ever made! It was so easy and tastes amazing. The cupcakes were perfect and moist and the icing… OMG! I will definetly be making these again and again and again:) thanks for the recipe!

Hello, I’m going to bake these tmr. Just wondering how do I actually make the Brewed Coffee? Do you have a recipe for that? Or is it ok if I use a 3-in-1 coffee OR just plain black coffee w/o sugar & milk?

I used the frosting for a mocha cake I’ve been making for over a decade. My husband always complained because it only had powdered sugar. I saw this and knew he’s be happy. And yes, complete success. This is fantastic frosting! Although never be tempted to try the espresso powder/vanilla mixture by itself.

These are absolutely amazing. I had never baked anything except banana bread and cookies so I was a little hesitant to make these from scratch. They turned out wonderfully and the flavors are exquisite. Great recipe! I wouldn’t change a thing! :)

I made these beauties yesterday afternoon to bring in to work today and they are INCREDIBLE! I’ve never had any luck making soft, fluffy & moist cupcakes but this recipe is a superstar! Thank you Michelle for making an office full of coffee loving manly men (& one coffee loving girl) very happy!

Hello, I am making these tonight and i was wondering if i could sub the all purpose flour with cake flour instead? These look delicious, and after reading all these comments, i wouldn’t want to mess them up in any way! Im super excited to try these! Thank you so much! -Rachel

I’m a 29yr old mother of four, and im a stay at home mom, i am constantly baking and when i started baking for family and friends I was told i should try and start a business selling my cakes and cupcakes. So , naturally i have tried many recipes searching for the perfect ones. When i saw this recipe , and all the positive comments, i thought i would give it a try. Seeing as how i LOVE COFFEE, i thought these would for sure be great….i was wrong, they are WAY BETTER than i could have imagined! So outstanding! !!!!! Im not exaggerating when i say, this is the best cupcake i have ever had!!! HANDS DOWN! It did make 16 cupcakes for me, but obviosly pan sizes differ. And to anyone considering making this recipe, you MUST MAKE THESE ASAP!!! Thank you so very much for this absolutely FANTASTIC recipe! I will make these again and again for the rest of my days!:-) PERFECTION! !!

I have made these last week and they were the star of the night. These look almost as good as they taste. In fact, my husband has asked me to make them again this week, this time, a double recipe. I ended up eating 4 in one night and 1 for breakfast the next day. LOL These are AMAZING !!!!

hi, i really like the sound of this recipe, but i would like to do it as a cake not cupcakes, would you have any suggestions or changes that i should do when baking, and if so, how long should i cook the cake for, and at what temperature?

Hi Megan, You would need to double the recipe for a 9×13 cake or two-layer 9″ cake. Bake at the same temperature, but it will take a little longer to cook. I would just keep checking every few minutes until done (I’m not sure of an exact time since I haven’t done it).

I made these for my lovely roommate’s birthday a few weeks ago, and they are incredible. Even my boyfriend who is not a coffee fan liked them! I could not find espresso powder so I used Cafe Bustelo espresso ground coffee that I found at Walmart. It worked perfectly well – the frosting looked speckled but was still smooth in the mouth and amazing. Next time I will use my mortar and pestle to grind the coffee more finely. Will certainly make these again.

I made a first batch which were still yummy but I used a shallower cupcake tray than the next batch, which I used a muffin tray (much deeper). It also really does make a difference if you whip it with the electric whisk for the time stated (I got impatient last time and didn’t do it for as long). They’re really dense and heavy cupcakes, but beautifully light at the same time.

The frosting is TO DIE FOR. I had some left over and had to keep it in a tupperware box just so I could eat it another time!

I brought some in for my colleagues and they said they would pay good money for them they were so delicious! Without a doubt my favourite recipe to this day.

Hi Kristeen, I don’t do any gluten-free baking, so I don’t have a tried and true recommendation for you, unfortunately. I know there are some gluten-free flour mixes you could try using, but I don’t know how they would work in this particular recipe.

I not a huge “from scratch” baker just yet, and I am wondering about using the base recipe here for other versions of cupcakes. What liquid would you substitute for the brewed coffee? Water? Oil? Milk?

This is hands down one of the best and easiest cupcake recipes I have ever made. First I loved that the batter wasn’t crazy runny, I actually could neatly get the batter into the cupcake liner.

The cupcakes were incredibly moist and so flavorful. The frosting was also very easy to make and yielded just enough for the cupcakes to be generously frosted – which is good because I’d eat leftovers for dinner. Friends and family told me repeatedly that these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.

The cupcakes was amazing, the frosting is just heavens<3 .. we tasted a few 1-2 hours after making and it was good, then I left it overnight and was surprised by how delecious they turned out.. as always ..your blog is my go to whenever I feel like trying a new receipe but don't want to fail :) Thank you

Delicious cupcakes and frosting! Made them for a photo shoot. Only thing is you need to at least triple the frosting recipe to get the thick decorative swirl of icing depicted. A “rosette” shape with the same tool uses lot less icing.

Hi Michelle, I’m a complete beginner in baking and am quite overwhelmed with the variety of piping nozzles out there. Could you give any advice on the type/ size I could get to decorate both cakes and cupcakes? Thanks a mil!

Hi Masha, I use a Wilton 1M for almost all of my cupcakes. It’s a great all-purpose tip that will give you a nice swirl. I also have an Ateco set which has some larger swirly tips, as well as some round ones. For cake borders like shells, you’ll want some smaller open star tips, like a #21, which is included in this tip starter set, which is a great deal if you don’t have any to start with!

I made this exactly as written and not only did the cupcakes not rise, but after 20 min. they still needed to cook so I put them in for another 5 min. After that first 5 min I put them in for another 5 min and still they came out gooey so I am putting them in for another 5 min. I usually don’t have this much trouble baking so I’m not sure what the problem is. Any ideas?

Hi Lauren, I’m sorry to hear these didn’t bake up perfectly for you. I’ve made them many times and haven’t had any issues. The batter should be on the thin side (this ensures that the cupcakes are light and moist). Were they fine once they finished baking? It could be that your oven runs a little on the cool side?

Oh, My, God! Just made these, literally 40 mins ago. Huge hit! The cake part is that right amount of chocolate and coffee flavor, tender and moist. The icing is exactly what you picture in your head of what an espresso frosting would taste like.I’m big on contrasts and mixing it up, so I made one tweak, I took your Irish car bomb ganache recipe, substituted the whiskey for Kahlua, and put it in the centers. Wow, I can’t stop eating them, my son has consumed four already!

I’ve been making these cupcakes for years and they are my absolute favourite! They are fluffy and flavourful and the batter is amazing! I sometimes have trouble finding espresso powder but have used instant coffee in a crunch and it is delicious too! Love it :)

This is like, the most perfect cupcake recipe I have tried. I have messed up so many cupcake recipes I thought it was my fault. These came out PERFECTLY and there were exactly 16. For me that happens, uh, never. Kudos, I’ll definitely consider this site my first stop next time I need a baking recipe.

These are absolutely delicious! I whipped up a batch of these for a work get together and they were an absolute hit with everyone! (Even the picky eaters and sweet’s haters!) I followed the recipe step by step and only deviated a little bit. Instead of using unsweetened cocoa, I substituted in hot cocoa mix; for the brewed coffee I substituted in Baileys Liquor. Everything else was left the same.

I rate this recipe 5/5 stars because it’s perfect for a quick dessert to have for parties, dinner or an evening snack. They’re incredibly delicious, moist and I’m positive all the ingredients are within reach of your pantry – so it ranks high on my convince list. I will be using this as my go-to recipe for all things chocolatey and delicious.

I would like to make this espresso buttercream to frost two eight inch cakes and crumb coat them as well. I would like a nice thick layer of the buttercream between the cakes. Can you tell me how much to increase the frosting recipe for something like that? Double it? Triple it?

Thank you! Perfect answer for my MIL who loves mocha cake. So easy to throw together on a busy weekday in time for her birthday dinner. I have an espresso machine, so I subbed the coffee and powder in the batter with a half cup of cooled espresso. Delish!

Great recipe! I made these today and they where yummy! I subbed half the butter with applesauce and 1/3 of the sugar with stevia powder. To cut out some of the calories and they turned out fantastic! I recommend this recipe.

I made these today. Used an extra egg because mine were small and I read the comments about them being crumbly. They were still crumbly. I followed the recipe to a T except for adding the egg. Not sure what happened, maybe 3 eggs next time. Tasted absolutely delicious, but completely fell apart. I will also double the frosting, I could frost 10 of the cupcakes with the quantity of frosting this recipe makes.

These cupcakes are INCREDIBLE. My mom and sister made these for my birthday and they were just unbelievably good. My brother-in-law said they were the best cupcakes he’s had in his whole life. We added some chocolate shavings and a chocolate-covered espresso bean on top of each one for a bit of decoration!

One more question, why do I need both brown sugar and normal granulated sugar? Is there a reason or just for colour? Why do I also need both baking powder and soda? Does it make any difference if I just use only baking soda?

Hi Lauren, Brown sugar helps to keep a moist texture, it has nothing to do with color. And yes, only using baking soda would make a difference; they need the extra oomph from the baking powder, as well.

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Reviews

I made a first batch which were still yummy but I used a shallower cupcake tray than the next batch, which I used a muffin tray (much deeper). It also really does make a difference if you whip it with the electric whisk for the time stated (I got impatient last time and didn’t do it for as long). They’re really dense and heavy cupcakes, but beautifully light at the same time.

The frosting is TO DIE FOR. I had some left over and had to keep it in a tupperware box just so I could eat it another time!

I brought some in for my colleagues and they said they would pay good money for them they were so delicious! Without a doubt my favourite recipe to this day.

This is hands down one of the best and easiest cupcake recipes I have ever made. First I loved that the batter wasn’t crazy runny, I actually could neatly get the batter into the cupcake liner.

The cupcakes were incredibly moist and so flavorful. The frosting was also very easy to make and yielded just enough for the cupcakes to be generously frosted – which is good because I’d eat leftovers for dinner. Friends and family told me repeatedly that these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.

The cupcakes was amazing, the frosting is just heavens<3 .. we tasted a few 1-2 hours after making and it was good, then I left it overnight and was surprised by how delecious they turned out.. as always ..your blog is my go to whenever I feel like trying a new receipe but don't want to fail :) Thank you

Delicious cupcakes and frosting! Made them for a photo shoot. Only thing is you need to at least triple the frosting recipe to get the thick decorative swirl of icing depicted. A “rosette” shape with the same tool uses lot less icing.

Oh, My, God! Just made these, literally 40 mins ago. Huge hit! The cake part is that right amount of chocolate and coffee flavor, tender and moist. The icing is exactly what you picture in your head of what an espresso frosting would taste like.I’m big on contrasts and mixing it up, so I made one tweak, I took your Irish car bomb ganache recipe, substituted the whiskey for Kahlua, and put it in the centers. Wow, I can’t stop eating them, my son has consumed four already!

This is like, the most perfect cupcake recipe I have tried. I have messed up so many cupcake recipes I thought it was my fault. These came out PERFECTLY and there were exactly 16. For me that happens, uh, never. Kudos, I’ll definitely consider this site my first stop next time I need a baking recipe.

These are absolutely delicious! I whipped up a batch of these for a work get together and they were an absolute hit with everyone! (Even the picky eaters and sweet’s haters!) I followed the recipe step by step and only deviated a little bit. Instead of using unsweetened cocoa, I substituted in hot cocoa mix; for the brewed coffee I substituted in Baileys Liquor. Everything else was left the same.

I rate this recipe 5/5 stars because it’s perfect for a quick dessert to have for parties, dinner or an evening snack. They’re incredibly delicious, moist and I’m positive all the ingredients are within reach of your pantry – so it ranks high on my convince list. I will be using this as my go-to recipe for all things chocolatey and delicious.

Great recipe! I made these today and they where yummy! I subbed half the butter with applesauce and 1/3 of the sugar with stevia powder. To cut out some of the calories and they turned out fantastic! I recommend this recipe.

These cupcakes are INCREDIBLE. My mom and sister made these for my birthday and they were just unbelievably good. My brother-in-law said they were the best cupcakes he’s had in his whole life. We added some chocolate shavings and a chocolate-covered espresso bean on top of each one for a bit of decoration!

Hi Kristeen, I don’t do any gluten-free baking, so I don’t have a tried and true recommendation for you, unfortunately. I know there are some gluten-free flour mixes you could try using, but I don’t know how they would work in this particular recipe.

I not a huge “from scratch” baker just yet, and I am wondering about using the base recipe here for other versions of cupcakes. What liquid would you substitute for the brewed coffee? Water? Oil? Milk?

Hi Michelle, I’m a complete beginner in baking and am quite overwhelmed with the variety of piping nozzles out there. Could you give any advice on the type/ size I could get to decorate both cakes and cupcakes? Thanks a mil!

Hi Masha, I use a Wilton 1M for almost all of my cupcakes. It’s a great all-purpose tip that will give you a nice swirl. I also have an Ateco set which has some larger swirly tips, as well as some round ones. For cake borders like shells, you’ll want some smaller open star tips, like a #21, which is included in this tip starter set, which is a great deal if you don’t have any to start with!

One more question, why do I need both brown sugar and normal granulated sugar? Is there a reason or just for colour? Why do I also need both baking powder and soda? Does it make any difference if I just use only baking soda?

Hi Lauren, Brown sugar helps to keep a moist texture, it has nothing to do with color. And yes, only using baking soda would make a difference; they need the extra oomph from the baking powder, as well.

I have a...: Question

welcome to brown eyed baker!

Hello and welcome to this delicious little corner of the web! Here you'll find approachable recipes for desserts, comfort foods and easy dinners.

I reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my husband, our two sons, and Golden Retriever.